Category: Reviews

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How to Save Money on Car Repairs

One of the first things I wanted to do at 16 was learn as much as I could about car maintenance and how to do the basic things: check the oil, change the oil, flush the radiator, change a tire…etc. When I started to have common issues with my first car (fuel pump quitting, starter dying, timing belt going) the cost of those repairs really ate at me.

After dealing with mechanics who took advantage of me and gouged me with costly repairs I made a vow to myself I would find a vehicle I could do most of the maintenance and repairs myself. Five years ago I bought a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport off Ebay. My best friend aka the Jeep Guru has helped guide me through a lot of the repairs I have done.

Last Fall I ended up with the project of a lifetime: rebuild my mom’s 1993 Jeep Cherokee Country that had a fire in the engine compartment. While the engine was not injured in the fire, most of the damage was on the drivers side that included the air box, computer, brake booster & cylinder, radiator, intake manifold, valve cover, power steering pump and the steering box.  My mom wanted the Jeep to be salvaged and I wanted that and her to save money in the process.

We used donor Jeep parts from an XJ we have from a friend, parts from an XJ that was at my brother’s work in TX, An XJ off roading friend from KY, Ebay, new parts from O’Reilly Auto, Advance Auto and Crown Automotive, which we are a dealer of. I spent a great deal of time writing an entire list of the parts needed to complete the project as well as doing price research.

If you would like to save money on repairs:

1) Find out if your automobile has a forum- there are plenty of forums out there for Jeep Cherokee’s (XJ’s). I found forums for my recently acquired 2000 VW Passat GLS, before I purchased the car off Ebay. I was able to learn about many of the common issues, how to take care of them myself as well as save a lot of money.

2) If you can buy used parts and save money go that route. Some parts are not meant to be purchased used and often times you will learn this through the forums. Most parts though you should be able to find at a junk yard, Ebay or through the forums through trades or purchases with transactions through PayPal.

3)Buy a service manual. Most auto parts stores sell service manuals whether they are Haynes or Chilton. Some book stores that sell new or used may have them as well. If all else fails, then definitely google and some forums may have a PDF version of a service manual for your vehicle. Many times Ebay may have sellers who have CD’s or downloads (just review feedback before making a transaction). Learn as much as you can about your vehicle and repairs.

4) If you feel comfortable working on your own vehicle or you know someone who would be willing to assist you or help do the work then go for it. If not then ask your mechanic if they are will to put on a part that you purchased.

5) Ask your mechanic if you can get a discount if you pay cash for repairs. I recently had to have a snub motor mount put on my car. Because I paid in cash, the mechanic knocked off $23! Before you go to pick up your vehicle make sure you ask.

6) Do NOT let family or friends deter you about your vehicle and repairs. Just because certain vehicles have a reputation does not mean they are lemons or jalopies. Go get involved in a forum about your vehicle, learn from the owners! They are the ones who will reassure you on things that most people would panic over. They are the ones who will direct you to places to purchase parts at reasonable costs, how to make repairs yourself and much more.

7) Find out if your forum has people in your area who work on vehicles like yours. Some forums will have a list of people with similar vehicles who work on the vehicles themselves for reasonable costs.

8) Check engine light is on? Don’t panic, take your vehicle to AutoZone where they will check the codes and print them out for you. Google check engine light codes for your vehicle OR if you are involved in a forum check and see if they have all the info for you. Often times they will.

 

I can recall so many times I have had family and friends question me on having my Jeep and now on my VW Passat, including my brother who is an ASE certified mechanic. What they fail to understand is how much dedication I have put in to learning all I can about my vehicles. I spend countless hours doing research, asking questions on forums and learning about similar issues that others have experienced. This has helped me from feeling unnecessary panic when something goes awry.

Before I purchased my Passat, I was aware that the ABS light was on. Now many people would go into absolute panic if that light was on in their vehicle. Because I had previously assisted a friend in repairing their vehicle that had a similar issue, I knew it was not a big deal. The forum had plenty of discussion on this issue and most would tell you it is NOT a big deal. In fact, many of them recommended a specific person who had rebuilt their ABS modules for a huge fraction of what a professional mechanic shop would charge to replace it with a new one that would in time fail just as the original one has!!! Why pay $600, $700, $800 or even $1,000 to have a new ABS module installed with the same issue as the original? What would it be like to pay someone who was fed up with the company who builds most of the ABS modules for  millions of automobiles to just rebuild and make your ABS module stronger for a mere $100??? Check out http://www.cheapabs.com/ if you are serious about saving money.

Recently my CEL (Check Engine Light) came on in my VW.  Thanks to spending time on the PassatWorld.com forum, I learned that as long as the CEL was not flashing it was not anything serious. And when I had the codes pulled at AutoZone, I learned they were very minor codes. In fact, they were extremely common, very minor ones.

 

Do your research and do not leave it up to others to do it for you. Know your vehicle so you are not the one taken advantage of. Be aware of what the parts cost and learn how long it truly takes to do a repair so you are not taken by others. Learning as much as you can will save you money, time and your sanity in the long run.

 

 

 

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Car Scams on Craigslist

As I was searching for a “new” used car through different avenues (Ebay, local trading post paper, Craigslist) I could not believe the number of Cars for sale scams on Craigslist.

It was blatantly obvious when you find cars that are way below book value and especially below what most cars of the same vintage were going for. I mean when you find a car such as a 2000 Honda Accord in near perfect condition selling for $1,000 when most are going for $2-$3K you know something is just not right.

Also, they are listed in the dealers section and not the private sellers section *Lightbulb*!  The stories have read that they are a single mom trying to sell the car and that in order to proceed I need to give over my address, phone number so they can give it to the Ebay Financial Department (Umm Ebay doesn’t have a financial department).

Another one read that they are in the midst of a divorce and need to sell the car for $950 (when the Craigslist listing says $1,000).

I found a super nice Maxima that had wheels and tires on it worth what the asking price was, minus the car. The email I got read that they were in the military and heading off to Afghanistan. He didn’t want to leave the car sitting while he was gone.

The notorious one was the VW Passat (the kind of car I was intensely looking for/at) that showed up in the Nashville, Knoxville, Atlanta and NW Georgia sections of Craigslist. Really???

I would hope that people wouldn’t fall for a car for sale that is about $2-$5K less than what similar cars were selling for. I am sure there are though unfortunately.

 

I am glad I didn’t find the “perfect” car on Craigslist as most of the ones I did find and tried to contact the seller they never bothered to respond even to tell me they sold the car or not. I got lucky one time and the seller promptly responded.

Maybe Craigslist should require all potential buyers to watch a video before allowing them to view the listings or at least hire some people to go through and check to see which listings are legitimate. I mean seriously, car listings that have been on there for half a day that obvious scams are not removed?

I am sure people swear up and down on Craigslist. Personally, I am a super skeptic. I have heard and read some horrible stories about people who were scammed, particularly on cars. I have family  and friends who have found some awesome deals on Craigslist but also heard their stories about creepy people they have come across.

My best friend and his son “rescued” a Jeep Cherokee about three years ago that was listed on Craigslist (Lebanon, TN). They were extremely creeped out so badly that being in a hurry they bent the track bar trying to get it on the trailer.

I think I will continue to stick with my local trader paper and Ebay.

 

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Swingin’ Midway Drive-In Theatre

Last night was my first time to visit the Swingin’ Midway Drive-In Theatre located on Highway 30 between Athens, TN & Etowah, TN. For years I have been wanting to visit there and for awhile I had people telling me it had closed so I forgot all about it, until I came across their Facebook page almost a year ago. What prompted me to go was that a movie I have been wanting to watch since it came out in June (Madea’s Witness Protection) was being shown all this weekend. After talking it over with my best friend we decided it was time to go visit the Swingin’ Midway.

I hadn’t been to a Drive-In movie theatre since I was around 4 or 5, about the time they were dying out. I remember my parents taking me to one near where we lived in SE Texas. Up until a few years ago I didn’t think any of them existed anymore. But what I have recently learned though is that they are trying to make a comeback or at least stay with the times.

For the Swingin’ Midway Drive In Theatre, this season is quite important. They are still running on 35 mm film and they have to convert to digital, which they have until the end of this year to do. Word is spreading they need to raise between 70K & 90K to make this conversion or they have to close their doors…possibly forever.

Every patron is encouraged to purchase snacks and drinks from their snack bar since most of those sales will help contribute towards the money needed to make the conversion. The snack bar offers everything from sandwiches, nachos, popcorn to candy and drinks. Just before it opened at 8 PM, there were plenty of people standing in line ready to get snackin’. I for one was ready to enjoy some popcorn, one of my all time favorite snacks to have while watching a good movie.

Restrooms were very conveniently located, at least for us as they are located behind the building of the snack bar. They were shockingly very clean too.

It was definitely a neat experience to be at a drive in movie theatre that still had some of the feel from 3,4 and even 5 decades ago. The people there were all friendly and it was obvious they were thankful we were there patronizing their establishment. For 3 adults and two children ages 10 and 7, it cost us $31. We also received two Swingin’ bucks to save towards future visits, if you save 8 of them you can get a free pass. And by the way, that $31 covered seeing two movies, but we were very exhausted after the first one which ended shortly after 11:30 PM.

When we first arrived there a little after 7:30, there were probably two handfuls of vehicles. By 8:30 when the movie was starting, the parking area was starting to fill up and by 9:30 it was pretty much covered up. We chose to park close to the front, near the snack bar (of course). I was glad to see that there are speakers still available because I had assumed it was all FM radio converted. Now I know that I can bring my Jeep which doesn’t have a working radio right now.

Since we were all newbies to the Swingin’ Midway we learned that: We could and should have brought our lawn chairs, been aware that some of the cars around us do have smokers and we could have brought our beloved dog, Smash although he would have loved to been petted by a multitude of people before and during the movie.

If you love movies or are trying to find a great way to spend time with those you love, going to the Swingin’ Midway Drive-In or really any other one that you know is still in existence is a great reason to not only have quality time but also help contribute to saving an icon. For my kids, it was definitely a treat. My youngest son thought it was the neatest thing to be able to sit in the vehicle and watch a movie outside. The only downfall was that there were smokers standing near our vehicle.

My personal hope is that the Swingin’ Midway is able to do the conversion and continue running so I can make some more trips with my family and friends.

 

 

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Pro Comp ES3000 shocks

After doing some research and talking with my brother the mechanic, I decided I would try out the Pro Comp ES3000 shocks for the front on my 1992 Jeep Cherokee. Previously I had purchased the Rancho 5000 shocks, but they only last me about four years which I was very disappointed about.

While I go off roading I don’t go that often. In fact, I have not been off roading at all this year because of my extremely busy schedule with school, kids and the community organization I am involved with. The previous year I had only been off roading maybe three times. From what I was told by other off roaders it would be understandable for my shocks to wear out if I were off roading quite often. So needless to say I decided I was not going to go with Rancho shocks again.

Since I knew there would be a Jeep Fest in Atlanta the first weekend of August I decided I would wait to purchase shocks until after I went there. I wanted to see what was offered and if I could possibly get them at a cheaper price than ordering them online.

When I got there it was ironic that the Rancho booth was right next to the Pro Comp booth which was extremely busy compared to Rancho. I guess that was a sign for me? Plus Pro Comp had a box stuffed full of shock boots including hot pink ones I had been looking for to match the pink my best friend had painted on my D rings, diff covers, track bar and skid plates as well as my brake rotor drums.

After getting in line to talk with one of the sales reps, he recommended the ES3000 shocks which I had previously looked at online. Since I have a 3″ lift he said those were the ones they include in their lift kit. When he told me the price of the shocks I knew I couldn’t turn it down. I would be saving almost $25!

When I went over to pay for the shocks and boots the cashier asked me if I wanted to add the warranty to them. I talked it over with my best friend who agreed that would be ideal. From the way the cashier explained the warranty it seemed like a no hassle deal. $8 additional to add the two year warranty and if anything happened I could take them to the nearest 4 Wheel Drive Parts store to exchange them.

At first the cashier and one of the store managers thought the shocks were in stock at the nearby Norcross, GA store. Once they called though they were apparently not there. I was a little disappointed since I wanted the shocks asap, but when the manager offered to ship them to me for free and said they would arrive to me by Thursday I was okay with that.

So when Thursday rolled around I was out and about hoping my shocks would show up. I had been going to the 4 Wheel Parts website daily to check the status which never seemed to change at all so I was quite nervous that they would not show up. Then late afternoon my neighbor called me and said they had a package for me that was very heavy.

 

When I got home I was like a child at Christmas time. It was a few days before I finally had the time to go out to my best friends house where he has a hydraulic lift and I could install the shocks.

When we opened the boxes he was quite surprised there was some assembling to do. The bar pins had to be pressed in so be prepared if you ever decide to purchase the ES3000. It did not take very long to do the pressing of the bar pins nor installing them.

After two weeks I could already tell a difference in the way it handles and the gas mileage has definitely improved. Now it will be interesting to see how they perform off roading…

 

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Otterbox for the iPhone 4

If someone asked me earlier in the year if I knew what an Otterbox was I would have told them no. Some of my friends on Facebook had been talking about having an Otterbox for their phone but it still didn’t clue me in as to what in the world they were talking about. Eventually I did some research, mainly going to Ebay and finding out exactly what an Otterbox was.

So when it was time for my full upgrade with Verizon, I chose to purchase the iPhone 4. The Salesman recommended the Otterbox as it is supposed to protect the phone as it is made out of glass. Even though I was purchasing insurance I decided it would be a good thing to invest in an Otterbox.

Three months after purchasing it I am very disappointed in it. The only two great things about the Otterbox is that one time I did accidentally drop the phone in a parking lot the Otterbox did its job and protected it. I have also been around a lot of water: theme parks, the beach, swimming pools and having the Otterbox made it to where I could still use the phone while it had some protection.

What I am most disappointed about is that the rubber cover around the shell no longer fits and the part that covers/protects the charger port is now hanging by a thin piece of the rubber. As a matter of fact, that part has never fit properly since the Otterbox was installed at the Verizon store.

If I were to rate the Otterbox on a scale of 1-10 I would give it a 4. I expected something I paid $50 for to last longer than three months. It definitely does its job by protecting, especially if the phone falls, I just believe the overall quality of the rubber part is not up to par.